70's Makeup Style

The Seventies is the decade that everyone is talking about this Spring/Summer 2011. Marc Jacobs showed beautiful bohemian-inspired elegance at New York fashion week and countless other designers claimed the Studio 54 look for their models. Although creating 70's inspired make-up may sound daunting at first, don't panic because there are plenty of simple ways to recreate the looks that dominated the runways.

Image: Lev Dolgatsjov - Fotolia.com

In the early to mid 70's the overwhelming trend was simple, subtle and barely there make-up with a hint of pastel colours. Thick creamy moisturisers were starting to creep into fashion and it wasn't unusual for women to sport slightly shiny skin, which was considered a sign of health and youthfulness. Women avoided heavy matte foundations, false eyelashes, black mascara, lip-liner, bright lipstick and eye-liner because the only look that really mattered was the natural one. For inspiration think Farrah Fawcett in her iconic red swimsuit and actress Ali MacGraw in Love Story.

Women aimed for a luminous, soft glow with a sweep of pink or peach blush, pastel eye shades and nude lipstick. The eyes were the feature that mattered and pearlescent eye shadow was the key beauty accessory, with pink, baby blue and soft green being the preferred colours. The whole look was finished with pale pink or nude lipstick perfectly designed to keep all of the attention on the eyes.

Achieving this look does not have to involve any drastic changes to your beauty routine and you can still capture the essence of the seventies without ditching the foundation completely. Firstly, use a rich moisturising cream to soften and hydrate skin. Following this apply a silky primer such as Dr Feelgood by Benefit (£21.50) to keep skin looking smooth and to cover any pores or uneven skin tone. Instead of reaching for the liquid or powder foundation opt for a light tinted moisturiser to add a hint of colour without appearing heavy such as Clinique's Moisture surge Tinted Moisturiser (£21).

To bring the 70's to 2011 apply a highlighting or brightening cream directly onto the cheekbones, temples and the bridge of the nose to cheat your way to glowing skin. Instead of a powder pink blush use a cream blush in peachy shades, stick to the apples of the cheeks and blend thoroughly.

If the idea of leaving the house without mascara frightens you, use a light brown or clear version to lengthen rather than thicken eyelashes. Use a pale peach eye-shadow across the whole of your eye, making sure to blend it well up to the eyebrow bone. Finish with a complementary shade of light brown to produce a cat-like flick on the outer corners. If you are addicted to eye-liner you can create a winged effect, but avoid black because it will scream Twiggy in the 60's rather than boho glamour. You could also try using white eye-liner on the inner eye to make them appear larger and brighter.

All that's left is the lipstick and we know a special trick to recreate the 70's pout without having to buy new products. Apply a thin layer of your favourite pink or peach gloss, it shouldn't look thick or sticky at this stage. Next using a small blusher brush or your fingers, collect a small amount of powder blusher in a similar shade and gently dab it across your lips. This will remove the shine from the lip gloss while protecting the colour and giving a long-lasting matte effect.

In the late 70's disco fever was born as soon as the sun-set. In 1977 the legendary New York nightclub Studio 54 opened and the guest list included the likes of Jerry Hall, Bianca Jagger, Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry. The effortlessly cool beauty trends that emerged were a far cry from the subtle mainstream look that had dominated the decade. An influx of ethnic-inspired influences meant that make-up had to contend with attention grabbing turbans, chunky beaded jewellery, woven handbags and floor-skimming maxi-dresses. As a result darker colours started to return, as did smokey eyes, ruby lips and eye-liner. Jewel tones of purple and emerald green were all the rage and most women wouldn't turn down a spot of glitter to add that extra sparkle. Under the glare of the disco lights women wanted to look perfectly bronzed but still with that characteristic natural Seventies glow. For inspiration look to films like Saturday Night Fever and take a look at the stunning eye make-up on display at Giles' Spring/Summer 2011 show.

To achieve this look for yourself follow the skin stages as before, but this time swap the blush for a bronzer with a hint of gold. We love Max Factor Mineral Bronzer (12.99). Use brighter eye shades like cobalt blue and don't be afraid to experiment with Collection 2000 Glitter Gel Liners (£2.99) and Barry M Dazzle Dust (£4.50) for an easy glitter finish. Keep brows strong and tidy and use eye-liner only on the outer corners to achieve the winged effect. Finish with dark pink or red lipstick, but do try and find a great matte lipstick that suits you like Revlon Matte Lipstick in Mauve it Over (£7.49).